NEWBURG, MD — The U.S. Department of Transportation announces that its Build America Bureau has provided a $200-million low-interest loan to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) for the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge Replacement Project. The Bureau helps communities across the country reduce the costs of infrastructure projects by providing Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loans, known as TIFIA loans, and other types of financing.

The $672-million project will replace the 83-year-old bridge, which carries US 301 over the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. This project will expand capacity by doubling the number of lanes from two to four and ensure a higher vertical clearance over the navigable waterway, allowing taller vessels to pass under the bridge.   

“The new Nice Bridge will address the four-mile-long daily backups and enhance roadway safety by creating a median barrier and wider lanes,” said Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “With 18,000 vehicles a day crossing, many of which are commuters headed to large employers like Naval Support Facility Dahlgren and Naval Support Facility Indian Head, this is a critical safety and quality of life improvement for the region.” 

“This loan helps deliver a long-awaited new bridge that will last at least 100 years,” said Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian. “By financing a third of the costs, we are helping bring this project to fruition sooner and at less cost to taxpayers, improving connectivity between local communities in Maryland and Virginia.”